<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Winter Will Come Again by SakusasDirtyMask</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29661486">Winter Will Come Again</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakusasDirtyMask/pseuds/SakusasDirtyMask'>SakusasDirtyMask</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Bottom Sugawara Koushi, M/M, Prince Sugawara Koushi, Scholar Sawamura Daichi, Top Sawamura Daichi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:42:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,902</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29661486</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakusasDirtyMask/pseuds/SakusasDirtyMask</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Winter feels different this year," His voice was soft as he looked towards Daichi.</p>
<p>"There will never be another like it," He agreed, lacing their fingers together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Winter Will Come Again</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>honestly this is the first fic i've written since i was 14 so bear with me please</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had always baffled Koushi how little empathy his family had shown to the world around them. There always seemed to be another village to invade, or another life to ruin, though he simply could not understand the need. He'd watched for years as his father and two brothers sat upon mountains of wealth, only to kick their feet like children until another coin was added upon the top.</p>
<p>Koushi had always hated that about his family, though the flip side of that coin was the same feelings reciprocated for the opposite reasons. Upon Koshi's eighteenth birthday nearly three years ago, he'd been invited to his first war meeting, and it had been his last. Looking at the papered plans of destruction had set off an unsettling feeling in his stomach and he'd been unable to hold his tongue. He had not been invited back to the meetings, though there had been no real punishment to him besides a sharp tongue-lashing given by his father.</p>
<p>It was often days like this that he thought of those moments. The soft patter of the rain hitting the canopy above him had put a damper on what had been a relatively cheerful mood in the early hours of the morning when the sun was just beginning to show its face. Koushi sat alone in the gazebo, a set of paints and papers in front of him, though he could get nothing onto the pages.</p>
<p>Koushi had spent hours in that gazebo with his paints, producing meek and messy arts that he could never quote say he was proud of, but he collected them anyways. It was unusual that his papers remained empty for long, though the large cream colored page before him stared at him as though it were a sheet of untouched sand. He didn't want to paint today.</p>
<p>With a huff, Koushi pushed the array of paint blocks, brushes, and pages away from himself and looked out to the pond that the gazebo edged upon. He watched as the rain rippled against the water with every rain droplet and shivered. The boy sat there, lost in thought for what felt like ages, though his attention span was broken at the sound of both speaking and footsteps approaching.</p>
<p>Koushi pushed himself up from the ground to greet the nearing men, straightening the fabric of his deep purple yukata and straightening his back, letting his hands hang at his sides as his older brother approached with a man, though it was clear the man was a guard, Koushi could not say he had ever seen him before.</p>
<p>Koushi had never looked like either of his brothers, both of them dark haired with hateful looking eyes and broad shoulders, much like their father looked. No, he'd always been quite the opposite of that, with silver hair that framed his pale face and silver eyes to match, he'd always been a snowflake painted against the crows that were his family. He took a deep breath, barely acknowledging the lowered bow he received from the unfamiliar man, his eyes glued to his brother, Kane.</p>
<p>"Koushi, I'd like to introduce you to someone," There was a coy, sick smile playing at Kane's lips as he spoke, making the blond's stomach turn. He didn't like this stranger already. "He will be staying in our home for the upcoming winter, and I would not be surprised if he ends up spending much of that time with you, Brother."</p>
<p>Koushi turned his eyes to the stranger, who made eye contact with him, but unlike so many folk before him, he didn't break the stare.</p>
<p>"What is the meaning of this, Brother? I've no reason to be spending any of my time with him." His brows were furrowed as he set his gaze back towards Kane. It was not the first time Kane had sent the new scholars or warlords to try and change his younger brothers peculiar ways, though it had never worked, and Koushi couldn't see that changing this time around.</p>
<p>"He's a scholar, though he also has an interest in Kaiga, so I thought to offer his company to you. You always seem so lonely in the winters," There was nothing kind in his tone. "Perhaps Daichi will help you settle on a suitress as well, hm? Then we'll all be getting something out of it."</p>
<p>The coldness in his brother's tone did not disappear from the atmosphere when the man turned and stalked away, Koushi's eyes following him until he'd disappeared around a corner, only turning to the short-haired scholar before him, his head tilted.</p>
<p>"I've no interest in your company, nor your kaiga. I'd suggest you stick to your studying and away from me." There was nothing kind in his tone as he turned to collect his paints, brushing by the unspoken stranger without another word.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It had been three days since the odd encounter Koushi had shared with his eldest brother and the scholar, Daichi. Every night since then, Daichi had been invited to dine with them. It wasn't uncommon that Koushi's father showed interest in the stories told by the scholars who were always warming the Minka's guest beds owned by the Sugawara family. However, he rarely invited them to their dinners more than once or twice a week.</p>
<p>Multiple times in those three days had Daichi approached Koushi in the gazebo, only to be met with a sharp-tongued princeling who wanted nothing to do with whatever the scholar had to offer. Koushi couldn't figure out why he disliked the man so much, nor why he'd painted the image of Daichi staring across the table, catching Koushi in a daydream. That painting had been crumpled and held above the flame of his oil lantern later that night.</p>
<p>Koushi had been actively avoiding the man since he'd arrived, but he couldn't seem to stop running into him. Maybe it was the way they'd been introduced that brought such a sick feeling of distaste to his stomach. Daichi had done nothing inherently wrong, and yet, Koushi couldn't shake the feeling of peculiarity that Daichi presented to him. Koushi was sat in the gazebo again, his thoughts anywhere but the half-finished painting in front of him. The maple leaves abandoned, he could barely remember what he'd come to paint if he were truthful, too much running through his head. It was such a common occurrence for his parents to send someone to fix him, though he'd never been so unsettled by a tiny interaction before.</p>
<p>It wouldn't be long before he could no longer paint in the gazebo; winter was approaching quickly this year. Koushi finally broke his train of thought and looked down at his painting. It was half-finished, though the image was there. A maple leaf touching the water, a simple representation of the vanishing autumn.</p>
<p>"You've got quite a bit of skill for someone who has never been taught to paint," Daichi's voice made Koushi jump, his eyes flicking from his page to the man who stood before him. The blond didn't have time to protest before the scholar sat across from him, shifting so that his yukata didn't wrinkle.</p>
<p>"I've been doing trial and error since I was young," His voice was stiff in his response, a reproachful expression adorning his features, "Is there something that you need?"</p>
<p>Daichi smiled, bowing his head quickly before speaking, "I've been asked to try spending some time with you. That is why I was brought here, after all. To spend time with you."</p>
<p>Koushi couldn't hide the irritation that flickered across his features, a soft huff of breath passing his lips. Many scholars had been brought to spend time with him-there was no other reason for them to be there, though they had all taught him things whilst growing up. It'd been well over two years since his father had requested a scholar to try and teach Koushi anything- he was too stubborn to accept the help when given from those chosen by his father. In Koushi's mind, he was just fine with whatever knowledge he could find and teach himself. There was simply no need for the meatheaded scholars his father cycled through.</p>
<p>"And what is it that you've come to teach me? What is it that you can offer to me that I can't teach myself? I can just as easily have you sent away." Koushi sounded like a brat, ungrateful and irritated. Daichi's smile never faltered, and that irked Koushi even more.</p>
<p>"You know, My Lord, I also come from a noble family. Sawamura, if you were wondering, and I am also the odd one out. I chose to focus my life on knowledge and arts. In contrast, my brothers turned to be warriors along with my father," He paused for a moment, looking curiously at Koushi, "So when I heard that there was a young artist amongst another noble family, I fell curious."</p>
<p>Koushi broke their eye contact and looked down at his page, an uncomfortable silence filling the air between them. Before Koushi had the chance to find the words to respond, Daichi stood and bowed his head once again, walking down the steps of the gazebo and onto the cold ground. "I'll be here all winter whether you like it or not, so why not make a friend while you have the chance?"</p>
<p>That was the last thing either of them said to one another that day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Koushi stared at the sliding door in front of him; his hand lifted as though he were going to knock. He couldn't bring himself to tap the wood; it felt as though he were losing a competition that didn't even exist. He finally set his hand against the wood, tapping lightly. Koushi hadn't planned to visit Daichi this late in the evening, though when his restless mind refused him sleep, he'd gone to find tea. As he'd walked by the rooms, he'd seen the faint glow of light escaping from underneath Daichi's door, and he couldn't help his curiosity. Perhaps he'd been too harsh to judge.</p>
<p>The man stood in silence, listening to the sound of Daichi shuffling around in the room, opening the door moments later. He looked taken aback by the sight of him, though Koushi had no idea who else might even consider visiting him in the night. He chose not to think about it.</p>
<p>"My... My Lord, what are you doing up so late in the evening? Surely you should be sleeping." Daichi's voice was sleepy, though it didn't seem as though he'd been sleeping. Koushi could see pages spread out beside his bed mat, perhaps the things that were keeping him awake. Daichi was no longer wearing the yukata he'd worn for the day, but sleeping robes. Koushi had redressed himself before leaving his room.</p>
<p>"I'd like for you to come for a walk with me, please." Koushi kept his voice quiet but stern. He didn't want anyone else in the household to hear his request, as though he was losing to them in a game they did not know they were apart of.</p>
<p>Daichi nodded and slipped his shoes on. The hallway was dark once again as the door to his chambers was slid shut, and they began to walk shoulder to shoulder, the only sound in the hallway being the quiet tap of their shoes as they went.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>